Social Justice

Life After Exoneration

Posted on January 17, 2024 by Liz Dederich

Dick’s guest, Jarrett Adams was wrongfully convicted for rape at the age of 17. 11 years later he was exonerated. He discusses how he went from “jailhouse lawyer” to real-life lawyer and how he uses his life experience to help exonerate others as well as improve the criminal justice system. Jarrett Adams is also the author […]

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Helping Black Men Succeed

Posted on December 6, 2023 by Liz Dederich

26% of Black men live in poverty. 1 in 5 will be incarcerated at some point in their lives. Black men also experience twice the unemployment rate as white men. Dick’s guest, Corey Marrioneaux is Founder and President of Black Men Coalition of Dane County an agency in Madison, Wisconsin that helps primarily Black men […]

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The Effects of Incarceration

Posted on November 22, 2023 by Liz Dederich

There are nearly 2 million people behind bars in the United States. There are also over 6 million family members of the incarcerated additionally affected, creating a huge impact that needs to be addressed. Dick’s guest, Dr. Nneka Jones Tapia is a clinical psychologist and the former warden of the Cook County Jail in Chicago, […]

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Public Defenders Today (Encore)

Posted on October 18, 2023 by Liz Dederich

Can low income defendants get a proper defense today using a public defender? What are the challenges public defenders face? Dick’s guest is State Public Defender Kelli Thompson for the State of Wisconsin.

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The Broken Criminal Justice System and How to Fix It

Posted on October 4, 2023 by Liz Dederich

Dick’s guest, Ed Wall was a long-serving police officer and former Director of the State of Wisconsin’s Department of Corrections. He shares his insights concerning the problems with our criminal justice system and what changes need to be made to fix them.

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911: A New Approach When Calls Involve a Mentally Disturbed Person

Posted on September 20, 2023 by Liz Dederich

Nearly 20% of all 911 calls involve a mentally disturbed person. In the past, all of these calls were responded to by police with little to no mental health training, sometimes ending in tragedy. Recently, there has been a push to create mental health emergency response teams to provide proper support for those in crisis. […]

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Restorative Justice Programs

Posted on March 22, 2023 by Liz Dederich

How can restorative justice programs help victims heal and possibly help perpetrators to be less likely to re-offend? Dick’s guest, Reverend Jerry Hancock is Director of the Prison Ministry Program at First Congregational Church in madison, Wisconsin.  

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21st Century Policing

Posted on January 18, 2023 by Liz Dederich

Dane County Sheriff Kalvin Barrett joins Dick to discuss what needs to change for effective policing in the 21st Century.

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Future of Jails

Posted on December 6, 2022 by Liz Dederich

Jails are in transformation from holding pens to more humanitarian rehabilitative facilities. As Dane County in Wisconsin embarks on building a new jail, Sheriff Kalvin Barrett discusses with Dick what he sees as wrong with jails today and what they need to do to release safer and more productive inmates back into society.

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Felons & The Right to Vote

Posted on November 9, 2022 by Liz Dederich

6.1 million felons are currently denied the right to vote. Some incarcerated, some on parole and others who have served their sentence. What are the pros and cons for granting felons the right to vote? Dick’s guest, Ramiah Whiteside was incarcerated for 25 years. He is now Associate Director and Prison Relational Voter Program Inreach […]

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Encore: MICRO-AGGRESSIONS AGAINST AFRICAN AMERICANS

Posted on July 21, 2021 by Liz Dederich

The daily racial slights, remarks and insulting behavior that “nice people” inflict on African Americans, usually without even knowing it. Dick’s guests are Everett Mitchell, Director of Community Relations at UW-Madison and Senior Pastor at Christ the Solid Rock Baptist Church, Annette Miller, Emerging Markets Community Development Manager at Madison Gas & Electric and past […]

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Murder, Incarceration and Resilience

Posted on June 9, 2021 by Liz Dederich

At 25, he committed a murder. At 28, he was on America’s Most Wanted. He was captured and served 25 years in prison. Now a year after his release, he is flourishing. Dick’s guest, Shar-Ron Buie, shares his journey.  

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Why Women Kill

Posted on January 6, 2021 by Dick Goldberg

What happens when a woman strikes back and kills her abuser? What can these acts teach us about domestic abuse? Dick’s guest is Dr. Darald Hanusa, a University of Wisconsin-Madison lecturer, practitioner, trainer and expert in domestic violence.

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Not Guilty by Reason of Insanity

Posted on November 18, 2020 by Dick Goldberg

Dick’s guest, Dr. Ken Robbins, adjunct professor at the University of Wisconsin-Madison School of Medicine and Public Health and past Medical Director of Psychiatry at Mendota Mental Health Institute, explains what determines an outcome of not guilty by reason of insanity and what treatment follows.

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Payday Loans

Posted on July 29, 2020 by Dick Goldberg

Are payday loans necessarily abusive and destructive ways to get cash? What are the pros and cons of such loans? Dick’s guest Jessica Roulette is a staff attorney at Legal Action Wisconsin.

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Foster Parenting in America

Posted on January 15, 2020 by Dick Goldberg

There are over 400,000 children in foster care. Who are the kids? Who are the foster parents? How effective is the system? Dick’s guest is Ellen Smith, Clinical Associate Professor and Associate Director of the UW-Madison School of Social Work.

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The Case for Reparations

Posted on June 19, 2019 by Dick Goldberg

The average American  black family has 1/12 the wealth of the average white family. Some of the reasons for this might surprise you or even shock you. Recently, Congress has taken up the issue of reparations. Dick’s guest, Kaleem Caire is a national leader in the K-12 movement. He is also a leader in the […]

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Human Trafficking 101

Posted on May 22, 2019 by Dick Goldberg

Human trafficking involves thousands of victims around the world, including the United States. Who are the perpetrators and victims of human trafficking? How can this happen? Dick’s guest is Nancy J. Hartwell, author of Harem Slave who first began investigating human trafficking worldwide after a friend was kidnapped and rumored to have been sold into sexual […]

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Justified Anger of African-Americans

Posted on April 10, 2019 by Dick Goldberg

Dr. Alex Gee, Senior Pastor of Fountain of Life Covenant Church in Madison, Wisconsin shares the everyday racism experienced by even the most accomplished African-Americans. He also describes how deep racism still remains embedded in our culture.  

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Racial Wealth Gap

Posted on February 13, 2019 by Dick Goldberg

Black Americans average 1/12th the net worth of white Americans. How did this happen? How can this gap be reduced? Dick’s guest is attorney Robert Wynn, Founder of Asset Builders of America.  

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Workplace Bias

Posted on November 21, 2018 by Liz Dederich

How can unconscious workplace bias affect decision making with employers and coworkers? Is there a way to make ourselves less biased or unbiased? Dick’s guest is Deborah Vaughn Biddle, founder of High Performance Development Solutions LLC and is also a diversity and inclusion corporate consultant.

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Immigration 101

Posted on August 29, 2018 by Liz Dederich

What are the current immigration laws and policies? How can these help us evaluate the “wisdom” of suggested changes? Dick’s guest, Shabnam Lofti, is the head of a law firm specializing in immigration law. Her firm serves clients throughout the Unites States and around the world.  

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Crimeless Parole Revocation

Posted on March 8, 2017 by Liz Dederich

In some states, people who commit non-criminal parole violations return to prison in the same numbers as new criminal offenders. Why does this happen? Is it just? What changes are needed? Dick’s guest is Cecelia Klingele, a law professor at the University of Wisconsin-Madison. Her numerous articles and areas of research focus on criminal justice administration and […]

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Living as an Undocumented Immigrant

Posted on January 19, 2017 by Liz Dederich

What is life like for the over 11,000,000 undocumented immigrants living in the United States who face deportation? How do they cope? Dick’s guests are Laura Minero, a Ph.D. candidate who came to this country at the age of five and is undocumented but has Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) status and Dr. Karen […]

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Innocent and Behind Bars

Posted on November 23, 2016 by TSC Admin

Of the over 2 million Americans behind bars, about 100,000 didn’t do it. They are innocent. The Innocence Project at the University of Wisconsin-Madison Law School is on the cutting edge of helping to exonerate the wrongfully convicted, including Steven Avery. Dick’s guest is Keith Findley, law professor and co-founder and co-director of the Wisconsin […]

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Understanding U.S. Poverty Programs

Posted on October 12, 2016 by TSC Admin

How does the federal government assist the poor? Is the level of support declining? How does our economic compassion for the poor compare to other industrialized countries? What are the specific poverty programs? Who gets the benefits? What change in poverty programs policies could have a huge positive impact on poor families with children and […]

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Life Behind Bars

Posted on May 11, 2016 by Liz Dederich

Dick’s guests Talib Akbar and James Morgan share their experiences from their combined 44 years of incarceration.

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Getting Low Income Kids Kindergarten Ready

Posted on July 1, 2015 by Liz Dederich

How do you do this? Why is this so crucial? Is this more important than what happens once school starts? Dick’s guests are Kaleem Caire, Founder and CEO of Achieve 64, a consulting firm helping corporations with diversity issues and Founder and CEO of One City Early Learning Centers preschool and Dr. Dipesh Navsaria, a […]

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Forgotten Minority? Issues Facing Hispanics in America

Posted on May 20, 2015 by Liz Dederich

How is the discrimination of Hispanics similar and/or different than that facing African-Americans? Dick’s guests are Dora Zuniga, President of Inspira Consulting LLC and former Executive Director of Centro Hispano and Big Brothers & Big Sisters of Dane County and Juan Lopez, Director of the Migrant Refugee and Labor Services Bureau of the State of […]

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Serving the Poor and Homeless

Posted on May 6, 2015 by Liz Dederich

How St. Vincent de Paul positively impacts the lives of poor Americans through a multitude of services. Dick’s guest is Ralph Middlecamp, Executive Director of St. Vincent de Paul in Madison, Wisconsin.

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White Privilege

Posted on April 8, 2015 by TSC Admin

What is it? Why is it important for white people to understand it? Dick’s guests are Harold Gates who is on faculty at Madison College and the founder of the Midwest Center for Cultural Competence and Reverend Michael Schuler who is the Senior Minister at the First Unitarian Society in Madison, Wisconsin and teaches a course […]

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Sex Offender Registries

Posted on November 19, 2014 by TSC Admin

Do they actually protect the public? Are some offenders unnecessarily victimized by this system? Where does politics intersect with this issue? Dick’s guest is Dr. Wesley G. Jennings, a criminologist and associate professor at the University of South Florida, recently named the number one criminologist in the world in recognition of his peer reviewed scholarly […]

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Racism in a Liberal College Town

Posted on October 8, 2014 by TSC Admin

Paul Fanlund, white editor of the liberal Madison, Wisconsin newspaper The Capital Times shares what he has learned about racism through an  ongoing investigation in his paper. He also discusses how a well meaning, well educated white person often doesn’t see racism that is clearly evident to minorities.

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Examining Income Inequality in the U.S.

Posted on January 22, 2014 by TSC Admin

Why is it getting greater? How serious is this problem? What can be done to close the income gap and reduce poverty? Dick’s guest, Dr. Tim Smeeding, a distinguished Professor of Economics & Public Policy and Director of the Institute for Research on Poverty at the University of Wisconsin-Madison, shares how we got here and […]

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What’s Wrong with Jails in America?

Posted on November 27, 2013 by TSC Admin

Why are jails overcrowded? Who are these inmates? What are the new promising alternatives to incarceration? Dick’s guest is Dane County Sheriff Dave Mahoney, who for the past seven years among other duties, has presided over a reduction of jail population from 1,300 down to 800. He serves on over twenty national, state and local […]

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Cross-Cultural Conversations: Avoiding Blunders

Posted on March 11, 2013 by TSC Admin

Two University of Wisconsin-Madison therapists and teachers of multiculturalism help us learn how to be sensitive and more skilled when talking to people of different cultures, color or ethnicity. Psychologist Monika Gutkowska and social worker Amanda Ngola are Dick’s guests.

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Understanding Homelessness

Posted on October 24, 2012 by TSC Admin

Who are the homeless? How many people are homeless in the United States? How did this happen? What can be done to fix this? Dick’s guest, Steve Schooler, is a founder and Executive Director for the last 12 years of Porchlight Inc. Porchlight Inc. is an innovative and effective agency that has helped thousands of […]

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Attacking Social Problems

Posted on July 17, 2012 by TSC Admin

A new and successful model of philanthropy goes beyond just helping the disadvantaged to getting to the causes of social problems and creating permanent change. Leslie Howard, President of United Way of Dane County, discusses this cutting edge approach to making philanthropy more effective.   For more information on United Way of Dane County, please […]

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